Acts 16

1Paul cameG2658 toG1519 DerbeG1191 and thenG2532 toG1519 LystraG3082, where he found aG5100 discipleG3101 namedG3686 TimothyG5095, the sonG5207 of a believingG4103 JewishG2453 womanG1135 andG1161 a GreekG1672 fatherG3962. 2TheG3588 brothersG80 inG1722 LystraG3082 andG2532 IconiumG2430 spoke well ofG3140 him. 3PaulG3972 wantedG2309 Timothy to accompanyG1831G4862 himG846, so he tookG2983 him and circumcisedG4059 himG846 on account ofG1223 theG3588 JewsG2453 inG1722 thatG1565 areaG5117, forG1063 they all knewG537G1492 thatG3754 hisG846 fatherG3962 wasG5225 a GreekG1672.

4

AsG5613 they went fromG1279 town to townG4172, they deliveredG3860 theG3588 decisionsG1378 handed downG2919 byG5259 theG3588 apostlesG652 andG2532 eldersG4245 inG1722 JerusalemG2414 forG846 the people to obeyG5442. 5SoG3767 theG3588 churchesG1577 were strengthenedG4732 in theG3588 faithG4102 andG2532 grewG4052 dailyG2596G2250 in numbersG706.

6

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian

After theG3588 HolyG40 SpiritG4151 had prevented themG2967 from speakingG2980 theG3588 wordG3056 inG1722 the province of AsiaG773,1 they traveled throughG1330 theG3588 regionG5561 of PhrygiaG5435 andG2532 GalatiaG1054. 7AndG1161 when they cameG2064 to the border ofG2596 MysiaG3465, they triedG3985 to enterG4198G1519 BithyniaG978, but theG3588 SpiritG4151 of JesusG2424 would not permitG3756G1439 themG846. 8So they passed byG3928 MysiaG3465 and went downG2597 toG1519 TroasG5174.

9

DuringG1223 theG3588 nightG3571, PaulG3972 hadG3708 a visionG3705 of aG5100 manG435 of MacedoniaG3110 standingG2476 andG2532 pleading withG3870 himG846, “Come overG1224 toG1519 MacedoniaG3109 and helpG997 usG1473.” 10As soon asG5613 Paul had seenG3708 theG3588 visionG3705, we got readyG2212 to leaveG1831 forG1519 MacedoniaG3109, concludingG4822 thatG3754 GodG2316 had calledG4341 usG1473 to preach the gospelG2097 to themG846.

11

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

(Revelation 2:18–29)

We sailedG321 fromG575 TroasG5174 straightG2113 toG1519 SamothraceG4543, andG1161 theG3588 following dayG1966 on toG1519 NeapolisG3501G4172. 12From thereG2547 we went toG1519 the Roman colonyG2862 of PhilippiG5375, the leadingG4413 cityG4172 ofG3588 that districtG3310 of MacedoniaG3109.2 AndG1161 we stayedG1510G1304 there several daysG2250.

13

On theG3588 SabbathG4521G2250 we wentG1831 outsideG1854 theG3588 city gateG4439 alongG3844 the riverG4215, whereG3757 it was customaryG3543 to findG1510 a place of prayerG4335. After sitting downG2523, we spokeG2980 to theG3588 womenG1135 who had gatheredG4905 there.

14

Among those listeningG191 was aG5100 womanG1135 namedG3686 LydiaG3070, a dealer in purpleG4211 cloth from the cityG4172 of ThyatiraG2363, who was a worshiperG4576 ofG3588 GodG2316. TheG3588 LordG2962 openedG1272 herG3739 heartG2588 to respondG4337 toG3588 Paul’sG3972 messageG2980. 15AndG1161 whenG5613 she andG2532 herG846 householdG3624 had been baptizedG907, she urgedG3870G3004 us, “IfG1487 you considerG2919 meG1473 a believerG1510G4103 in theG3588 LordG2962, comeG1525 and stayG3306 atG1519 myG1473 houseG3624.” AndG2532 she persuadedG3849 usG1473.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

16One dayG1161G1096 as weG1473 were goingG4198 toG1519 theG3588 place of prayerG4335, weG1473 were met byG5221 aG5100 slave girlG3814 withG2192 a spiritG4151 of divinationG4436,3 whoG3748 earnedG3930 a largeG4183 incomeG2039 for herG846 mastersG2962 by fortune-tellingG3132. 17This girl followedG2628 PaulG3972 andG2532 the rest of usG1473, shoutingG2896G3004, “TheseG3778 menG444 areG1510 servantsG1401 of theG3588 Most HighG5310 GodG2316, whoG3748 are proclaimingG2605 to youG4771 the wayG3598 of salvationG4991!”

18

She continuedG4160 thisG3778 forG1909 manyG4183 daysG2250. Eventually PaulG3972 grew so aggravatedG1278 that he turnedG1994 and saidG2036 to theG3588 spiritG4151, “InG1722 the nameG3686 of JesusG2424 ChristG5547 I commandG3853 youG4771 to come outG1831 ofG575 herG846!” AndG2532 the spirit left herG1831 at thatG846 very momentG5610.

19When the girl’s ownersG2962 sawG3708 thatG3754 theirG846 hopeG1680 ofG3588 making moneyG2039 was goneG1831, they seizedG1949 PaulG3972 andG2532 SilasG4609 and draggedG1670 them beforeG1909 theG3588 authoritiesG758 inG1519 theG3588 marketplaceG58. 20They brought themG4317G846 to theG3588 magistratesG4755 and saidG2036, “TheseG3778 menG444 areG5225 JewsG2453 and are throwingG1613 ourG1473 city into turmoilG4172 21by promotingG2605 customsG1485 thatG3739 are unlawfulG3756G1832 for usG1473 RomansG4514 to adoptG3858 or practiceG4160.”

22

TheG3588 crowdG3793 joined in the attackG4911 againstG2596 Paul and Silas, andG2532 theG3588 magistratesG4755 ordered thatG2753 they be strippedG4048G846G3588G2440 and beaten with rodsG4463. 23AndG5037 after strikingG2007 themG846 with manyG4183 blowsG4127, they threwG906 them intoG1519 prisonG5438 and orderedG3853 theG3588 jailerG1200 to guardG5083 themG846 securelyG806. 24On receivingG2983 this orderG3852, he placedG906 themG846 inG1519 theG3588 innerG2082 cellG5438 andG2532 fastenedG805 theirG846 feetG4228 inG1519 theG3588 stocksG3586.

25

The Conversion of the Jailer

AboutG2596 midnightG3317 PaulG3972 andG2532 SilasG4609 were prayingG4336 and singing hymnsG5214 toG3588 GodG2316, andG1161 theG3588 other prisonersG1198 were listeningG1874 to themG846. 26SuddenlyG1161G869 a strongG3173 earthquakeG4578 shookG4531 theG3588 foundationsG2310 of theG3588 prisonG1201. At onceG3916 allG3956 theG3588 doorsG2374 flew openG455 andG2532 everyone’sG3956 chainsG1199 came looseG447.

27When theG3588 jailerG1200 woke upG1096G1853 andG2532 sawG3708 theG3588 prisonG5438 doorsG2374 openG455, he drewG4685 hisG3588 swordG3162 and was aboutG3195 to killG337 himselfG1438, presuming thatG3543 theG3588 prisonersG1198 had escapedG1628. 28ButG1161 PaulG3972 called outG5455 in a loudG3173 voiceG5456, “DoG4238 notG3367 harmG2556 yourselfG4572! We areG1510 allG537 hereG1759!”

29

Calling forG154 lightsG5457, the jailer rushed inG1530 andG2532 fellG1096G4363 trembling beforeG1790 PaulG3972 andG2532 SilasG4609. 30ThenG2532 he broughtG4254 themG846 outG1854 and askedG5346, “SirsG2962, whatG5101 mustG1163 IG1473 doG4160 toG2443 be savedG4982?”

31

They repliedG2036, “BelieveG4100 inG1909 theG3588 LordG2962 JesusG2424 andG2532 you will be savedG4982, youG4771 andG2532 yourG4771 householdG3624.” 32ThenG2532 Paul and Silas spokeG2980 theG3588 wordG3056 of theG3588 LordG2962 to himG846 and toG4862 everyoneG3956G3588 inG1722 hisG846 houseG3614. 33AtG1722 thatG1565 hourG5610 of theG3588 nightG3571, the jailer tookG3880 themG846 and washedG3068 their woundsG4127. AndG2532 without delayG3916, heG846 andG2532 allG3956 hisG846 householdG3588 were baptizedG907. 34ThenG5037 he broughtG321 themG846 intoG1519 his homeG3624 and setG3908 a meal before them. So he and all his householdG3832 rejoicedG21 that they had come to believeG4100 in GodG2316.

An Official Apology

35When daylightG2250 cameG1096, theG3588 magistratesG4755 sentG649 their officersG4465 with the orderG3004: “ReleaseG630 thoseG1565 menG444.”

36

TheG3588 jailerG1200 informedG518G3778G3588G3056G4314 PaulG3972: “TheG3588 magistratesG4755 have sent ordersG649 toG2443 release youG630. NowG3568 you may go on your wayG1831G4198 inG1722 peaceG1515.”

37ButG1161 PaulG3972 saidG5346 toG4314 the officers, “They beatG1194 usG1473 publiclyG1219 without a trialG178G444 and threwG906 us intoG1519 prisonG5438, even though we areG5225 Roman citizensG4514. AndG2532 nowG3568 do they want to send us awayG1544G1473 secretlyG2977? Absolutely notG3756G1063G235! Let them comeG2064 themselvesG846 and escort us outG1806G1473!”

38So theG3588 officersG4465 relayedG518 thisG3778 messageG4487 to theG3588 magistratesG4755, who were alarmedG5399 to hearG191 thatG3754 Paul and Silas wereG1510 Roman citizensG4514. 39They cameG2064 to appeaseG3870 themG846 andG2532 led them outG1806, requestingG2065 that they leaveG565G575 theG3588 cityG4172. 40After Paul and Silas cameG1831 out ofG575 theG3588 prisonG5438, they wentG1525 toG4314 Lydia’s houseG3588G3070 to seeG3708 theG3588 brothersG80 and encourageG3870 them. ThenG2532 they leftG1831 the city.